Never Out of My Sight or My Heart
by Snootiegirl99
Summary: Anakin has some questions for Obi-Wan about the nature of love. SLASH
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I own none of these characters. I guess Disney does now.

**Author Notes**: Feedback greatly appreciated.

Ioioioioioioioioi

Master?

Yes, Anakin.

I believe that love is selfless. What do you believe?

I believe that I am very tired, Anakin.

I'm serious, Obi-Wan.

So am I.

ioioioioioioioio

Generals Kenobi and Skywalker were on a return trip from another successful, but long and costly, campaign in the Outer Rim. This time, they waged battles on three different planets for control of one system. Too many Clones had been sacrificed, in their opinion.

On one particularly inhospitable planet, they had lost two out of every three Clones landed. 'Man down' rang in their ears the entire time they were there. The medics couldn't keep up, and Obi-Wan was fairly certain that they left some survivors behind when they had to retreat and re-group. Luckily, some of them had survived until they were able to re-take the area. Not all though.

The toll on the morale of the 501st was palpable. Brothers were left behind. Brothers were sacrificed. Brothers that would never walk into the barracks or the mess with them again. Anakin had never seen the troops so low. He swore that he even heard snuffling from some of them. They truly were brothers, these soldiers. And they were human.

He had railed at the Council over the holocom. "They are dying in unacceptable numbers! And for what? This pissy little backwater in the Outer Rim. What is its significance again? Oh, that's right. The Seppies wanted it, so we have to oust them. It's not worth the life we are losing!"

Obi-Wan agreed with Anakin in his calm manner, "Anakin is right. The casualties as well as their effects on the emotional state of the troops is more loss than we had calculated. Every campaign has its losses, but this is a massacre. Do we have your permission to pull out?"

Mace Windu and Yoda exchanged glances in their peculiar way. "I'm sorry, General. With the fall of Richi Sector, this system has suddenly become a very important route through that area of space. We need a place for safe passage. You're just going to have to find a way," Mace explained to a disheartened Obi-Wan. "May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin and said with as much sarcasm as he could, "Yes, well, that was helpful."

"Arrrgghh!" was Anakin's only reply as he stomped out of the communications tent. He needed to check on the troops anyway. "Stupid Mace Windu," he mumbled. "He wouldn't know how to find his way out of a paper bag, even with the Force!"

Captain Rex fell in beside his commanding officer, asking "What's the good word, General?"

Anakin gave him a sidelong look. "Don't ask, Rex. Same old shit on a different day. We need a new strategy if we're going to get any of us out of this alive. Round up the best strategists and meet in the command center at 0900."

"Right away, General," Rex saluted and trotted off in the mud.

With a good deal of ingenuity and just plain grit, they managed to ground out a victory in the system. But the toll on the Clones was still very high. Anakin heard the men talking in the mess, in the hangar, in the hallways, everywhere about their fallen brothers. There were reminisces, bawdy stories, tales of valor. But through it all, Anakin noticed that there was emotion.

There was regard for each other. He saw offers of physical and emotional support between many of the men within their units. It got him thinking about the nature of attachment on the battlefield. How you asked someone to put his life into your hands and put your own into his. How emotions would grow around the circumstances of saving each other's lives. Loving the man next to you in battle would do very little for your own self-preservation, but it might make you do something pretty heroic for him.


	2. Chapter 2

"But loving means giving of yourself. Trusting yourself with someone else. Entrusting yourself to someone else. How is that selfish? Hatred is selfish. Hating someone because they aren't what you want or do things you don't like. That's selfishness personified. To hate is to indulge the self. To love is to surrender the self. Like we surrender to the Force. Let it flow through us," Anakin had wanted to talk to Obi-Wan about this for so long.

"What of attachment from love, Anakin?" Obi-Wan sounded more interested in the conversation when he replied this time.

"Attachment through love simply means that you are even more selfless-you are attached not to your self, but to another luminous Force-being. Think about it, Obi-Wan. Someone who loved another- Someone who had a love-" Anakin stumbled.

"I'm listening."

"I know. I'm trying to give an example, a concrete example of love and trust and goodness and selflessness. But I'm afraid you won't like my example, Master," Anakin uttered the last sentence in a whisper.

"I like that you think, Anakin. I like that you are true to yourself, even as you question. We are as the Force has made us, Anakin. And between us, there are no secrets, no doubts, no questions that cannot be asked and answered honestly."

"Ok, let me try again. What if someone who was the most honorable, most giving, most self-sacrificing person was loved by someone who was less those things? Would not the love of the goodness prevent the lover from traveling the Dark path because to do so would be to lose the Light of the beloved?"

"Do you mean to ask if love would make the Lover a better person?"

"Yes, I think I do."

"So then, by your argument, the Love of the Lover has become the tool with which to battle the darkness of attachment, greed, jealousy. The Beloved has become a beacon of the Light side of the Force."

"Yes, Master! We are, after all, as the Force made us." Anakin smirked at using Obi-Wan's own words again. "Why would the Force give us these feelings, these passions and needs if we weren't supposed to use them to give us strength? To help each other. To make the galaxy a better place."

"What prompted these questions?" Obi-Wan had had discussions with Anakin in the past about love and attachment, but not recently.

"The troopers," Anakin said quietly. "They do so much for each other. Support each other through so many harrowing circumstances. How can their attachment to each other, and the valor it breeds, be detrimental?"

Anakin had always loved someone in the course of his lifetime, beginning with his mother. And ending with Obi-Wan-his mentor, his brother, his best friend, his Master, his-

Soul mate. He knew he could never survive without love in his life.

"I love you so much, mom," a five-year old Anakin said as he squeezed his mom tight.

"I love you, Ani," she replied with a return hug.

"Say, 'I love you too, mom!'" Anakin insisted. "That's the right way to say it."

Shmi smiled at her little boy. His heart was so big. He was always dragging some stray creature or person home with him. "I love you too," she repeated.

His latest acquisition wrapped itself around her legs as she tried to shuffle around without stepping on the feline. "What are you going to name her, Anakin?"

"I haven't decided yet," Anakin frowned in concentration.

"Well," his mother said, bending over to palpate her sides with gentle fingers. "Perhaps, Mama Kitty? She's going to have some kittens soon."

"She is?"Anakin breathed reverently. "Oh, boy! Then I'll have even more pets!"

"Or perhaps you could share some of the kits with your friends . . ." Shmi suggested.

"Yeah! Then we can all have more love. Hooray!" Anakin ran out the front door to share his good news with his friends. Shmi just looked after him and shook her head. The world was too cruel a place for a child with as big a heart as that one, she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

Anakin continued, "What I meant was that, isn't the Force love itself? The urge to love, the need, the passion that love stirs in beings? Isn't that what makes it so compelling, and, to come careening back to my original question, isn't that what makes love selfless and desirable for Jedi? Why are we taught not to feel these things?"

"We are taught to let go of our feelings, not to not feel them at all. When your mind is quiet, former Padawan mine, then the Force speaks most clearly to you. When I let the Force flow through me, I cease to be my Self. I am a tool of the Force, and happily so. I can see the connections between all living creatures, between all matter and all energy. It is as blissful as love, Anakin. Have you never experienced such a thing?" Obi-Wan had little doubt that Anakin had not. Perhaps the time had come to take this task a little more firmly into his own hands.

"Do you love the Force, Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked in a small voice full of reverence.

"I am one with the Force, Anakin. Do I love my own heart? Do I love my own breath? Do I love the cells in my body? I am One with all of them. It is existence; it is life. It is not love." And it's high time you experienced this type of living, Anakin, Obi-Wan decided.

"But the Force is both light and dark, Anakin. Just because we train to resist the Darkness doesn't mean that the dark side of the Force doesn't exist. Perhaps it was the Dark side that created love?"

"No," replied Anakin vehemently. Anakin was very dismayed at the idea of the Dark side of the Force creating something that seemed so luminous as love. "No. I don't, I can't believe that. It feels wrong to think that the Dark would beget love. In fact, shouldn't that be our answer? If the Dark is the originator of Evil, fear, anger, mistrust, then the Light must be the author of things like love, loyalty, honor, trust. These are the things in life that counteract the Dark, the cold darkness . . . "

Obi-Wan looked across the short distance between his chair and Anakin's. He felt Anakin's frustration through their bond, even despite Anakin's attempts to shield his mind. He was never fully closed to Obi-Wan, though whether that was a weakness of his discipline or just another way that Anakin expressed himself to his former Master, Obi-Wan couldn't say. Anakin had told him many times before that he trusted Obi-Wan completely; therefore, there was no need to completely shield himself.

"Yes, Anakin, I believe that love was created by the Light side of the Force. And I do not think that love itself leads to the Dark Side. Love that becomes obsession, love that becomes possessive and destructive of the lover and the beloved is no longer love. It has fallen. But love that remains pure, that basks in the desire to exalt both the lover and the beloved . . . that is the Force within us at its best." Obi-Wan had said most of this with his eyes cast to the floor. He did not see when Anakin's eyes became glassy with unshed tears.

Anakin pressed his fists into his eyes, holding back the images of all he had seen in this long, bitter war. Holding back his own fear that threatened to burst out of him at tense moments. Moments like when he was trying to bare his soul to Obi-Wan and not getting very far.  
Obi-Wan continued. "Love is not ambition. Love is not power. If anything, love surrenders power. Love does not fear; it is confident in its existence. To feel love, in love, is to feel warm, complete, excited about life, accepting of all life because of the joy that radiates from within."

Anakin opened his eyes to look at his Master. "Have you been in love, Master?"

Obi-Wan looked up and into Anakin's fathomless blue eyes. "Yes, Anakin. I have been. I am. I continue to be. In love," Obi-Wan gave Anakin a tight smile. He regretted nothing.

"And," Anakin cleared the lump in his throat, "Don't you fear that you might lose your beloved? Do you worry that the Council will expel you for violating the Code?"

"I do not fear my love. I will always feel it. It will not lose me. I will not lose it. I also do not fear whether it is returned or not. My love is content to be. Yes, reciprocity would fill me with joy. But it would not alter my love. It is as it is."

"You do not fear not being loved yourself?" Anakin asked astonished. A great deal of the fear that Anakin had been experiencing in the past few years wasn't fear of death or fear of failure. It was fear of not being loved.

"Love is selfless, Anakin. I believe some great man, somewhere, said that." This time, Obi-Wan's smile was broader as he teased Anakin. "Fear has no place in love. I do not fear not being loved. I enjoy the love I have for another. Spending time together, enjoying each other, learning about each other. That's requited love, in whatever form it comes. Even if I were separated from this being, my love would not end. I would treasure it as I would the memories. The Force has given me my love; I accept it without question."

Anakin was silent, for a change. He looked at Obi-Wan's face, at the naked truth that shown out of his eyes. Obi-Wan had agreed with him. What he had said was tantamount to saying Anakin was right. He was shocked. And then pleased. He flushed an attractive shade of pink.

Obi-Wan continued to answer honestly, "As for the Code, it has changed through the millennia. I believe we are on the cusp of another change. The Clone Wars have changed the Order and the galaxy irreparably. We have all touched the Darkness. We have seen what it can do. And we also have seen what attachments, bonds, or partnerships can do. They bring out the best in us. Loyalty, brotherhood, honor-honoring the life of those around us. How can we deny the strength that these things give us not only on the battlefield but in our lives?"

Obi-Wan leaned forward in his seat and toward Anakin. Anakin's head had fallen back against the headrest of his own seat during Obi-Wan's speech. Not from boredom or fatigue but from a great sense of peace. He could relax, which was something that he found very hard to do under any circumstances.

"I can only speak for my own love, but I have found such contentment and fulfillment through it. I have felt my bond to the Force increase around my love. It enhances everything that I already am as a Jedi."

As he spoke of his love, Obi-Wan reached out a hand to cup Anakin's jaw. His thumb caressed the high cheekbone as he looked deeply into the younger man's eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

"And, now, my friend, tell me about yourself and love." Obi-Wan dropped his hand from Anakin's face to gather his hand up, entwining their fingers together as if they had always done so. The oneness of their hands was astonishing to each of them. Despite the size difference of their bodies, their hands could have been the hands of the same being, crossing one torso instead of two. They both looked at the joined hands.

Anakin let go of any fear he had left. It wasn't hard. When he was with Obi-Wan, any darkness he had ever felt melted away. He felt refreshed, energized, lightened by Obi-Wan in any number of ways. His mind, his spirit, his body.

"I-" Anakin stammered a little, imagining this moment so many times, but never like this. Never with Obi-Wan talking so freely about love and changing the Code. Never did he imagine that his Master would as much as tell him he loved him first. Anakin had always thought he would be the one to declare himself-always being the brash one who ran headlong into any situation. But now, the nature of this conversation had shown Anakin more about himself. He did feel all of those wonderful things about his love for Obi-Wan-the contentment, the joy, the peace. And it didn't matter if Obi-Wan loved him back. Loving the older man made Anakin happy, made him a better man.

Taking a deep breath, Anakin looked up at Obi-Wan. Softly, he spoke the most important words of his life, "You are my truest love, Obi-Wan. I have always loved you. The moment we met, I knew that my destiny was yours, and yours mine. I have always tried to be the best version of myself for you. No one else could ever inspire that in me. My devotion to you supersedes the Order, the Republic, even my mother. She started me on this journey to find you; showed me the nature of true, selfless love. Then the Force gave you to me, Obi-Wan, and I will hold you dear even after I die. I love you with everything that I am. I offer you everything that I am to do with as you will." As Anakin was speaking, his free hand, his mechanical hand, had grasped Obi-Wan's other arm above the elbow, moving Anakin's whole body forward to the edge of his chair and turning him to face his Master.

And then they were both moving toward each other, pulling on each other's hands and arms. The met halfway in a kiss that was the most perfect version of any first kiss. They melted together as if they had always known the best way to fit. The rhythm of their kiss, their breathing, their heartbeats all synchronized in that moment. The Force sang across their bond, uniting them completely until there was no beginning and no ending of either of them. It was bliss. And then, quite unexpectedly for Anakin, it became even better.

Obi-Wan pulled away from Anakin's lips. But before Anakin could moan softly at the loss, the older man's eyes were closed, and he was concentrating on Anakin's Force signature. Come with me, his signature whispered to his student. Anakin surrendered unconditionally. He couldn't do anything else.

Their shields collapsed completely and their energies swirled together as their foreheads softly rested against each other in reality. Feel me, my love, that which was essentially Obi-Wan said to that which was essentially Anakin. Feel how we melt together, how we were meant to do so. I have waited for this moment, for you to be ready to experience it with me. Feel my love, my embrace in the Force. Anakin's body started to hum in tune to Obi-Wan's essence. Then it changed slightly as he began to entwine and alter the timbre of Obi-Wan. They were irreparably changing each other.

And it was more than anything Anakin had ever imagined. He had always scorned meditation because of his inability to sit still for very long. He could never understand what was so useful about it. But now, with his Master's help and within his Master, he had discovered what he had been missing from his Jedi training. Peace. Comfort. Communion. Understanding. And above all, all-consuming, unconditional love.

This level of communion changed Obi-Wan as well. He felt parts of himself opening up to Anakin that he hadn't even known he possessed. He felt more centered, more alive with Anakin's essence joined to his own. He even felt a little like taking a reckless drive around Coruscant in the fastest speeder he could find. Obi-Wan's smile broke across his face, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the same smile across the younger man's face.

"That was-" Anakin started, clearly breathless.

"I know," Obi-Wan agreed, just as breathless. He brought a hand up to Anakin's cheek and pulled his lips closer, stopping first to nuzzle their noses together.

After another lingering kiss, Anakin asked, "How long have you known? From when we met?" He just had to know.

Obi-Wan chuckled, "So impatient to know everything. We have the rest of our lives together, love. But, no, I don't think that I knew as well as you did. You have more natural Force talent than most do. Although I think that my years of training and discipline have come in handy today." His eyes twinkled.

A breathy 'yes' was all Anakin could manage to get out before their lips met again.

Obi-Wan broke the kiss again. Standing up, he offered Anakin his hand. "Come," he said quietly. "Let's be alone." As he said these words, the door to the room slid open, and several Clones walked in. They had a meeting scheduled in the observation room.

"Sorry, Generals. Were you finished?" The senior Clone asked.

"Yes, Commander. We are retiring. Com us if anything comes up." Obi-Wan was the consummate General even though his body was humming with different ideas for 'retirement' than the Clone probably imagined.


	5. Chapter 5

The two Jedi walked shoulder-to-shoulder down the corridor. Every few steps, their hands would brush against each other. And they couldn't help but search out each other's eyes as well.

When they reached Obi-Wan's quarters, he smiled cheekily and said, "Your place or mine?"

"Oh, yours, definitely. Mine's a wreck. You'd have to clean before we could continue talking." Anakin confirmed. He wasn't given to cleaning up the dirt and detritus that he tracked into his quarters after each deployment. It was starting to look like the floor of a forest or cave in there.

Obi-Wan hung his head with a smile. "Oh, Anakin," he started.

"Just, never mind," Anakin said and put his hand between Obi-Wan's shoulder blades to gently push him into the room and let the doors slide closed behind them.

When they were finally alone, Anakin slid the hand from Obi-Wan's back, up and over his shoulders, hugging him across the chest. His other arm snaked around Obi-Wan's waist. Then Anakin rested his chin on his Master's shoulder. Obi-Wan raised both hands to hold onto the arm around his chest.

"I never want to let go," Anakin said.

"Then don't," was the rejoinder.

Turning his face ever-so-slightly toward the slim neck, Anakin breathed in all that was the scent of his one love. He had luxuriated in this smell for twelve years. It had chased away his fears. It had calmed his anger. And it had always, always helped him focus on what was important. Obi-Wan might be the perfect Jedi, in complete control of himself at all times, but his perfection to Anakin was his ability to control him. And it didn't even seem to be something that Obi-Wan did consciously. It was more an effect of pheromones. Force knew that it wasn't Obi-Wan's lecturing or platitudes that had any calming effect on him. That was certain.

Anakin snorted at this thought.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I was just thinking that you should have bottled your scent and given it to me to wear like cologne so that I could always have a calming influence around me." Anakin said with a smirk.

"Huh. As if that would have helped when you were ready to take the head off of an alien that had made some innocuous observation about me. You have always been too quick to defend me. I can take care of myself-especially when we're talking about words." Obi-Wan turned toward Anakin just enough to brush the side of his beard against Anakin's lips. Then he leaned into the young man's forehead again.

"You don't know, Master. Your lectures never worked at all. They just made me feel inadequate. Your smell makes me feel infallible." Anakin took another deep breath before loosening his grip and allowing Obi-Wan to face him. "Like I can do no wrong."

"I like the sound of that. Shall we put it to the test?" Obi-Wan said, turning in Anakin's embrace and looking the younger man up and down with lowered eyelids, his voice husky and seductive.

Anakin was seventeen, and every inch of him was cocksure and arrogant. He didn't have to listen to Obi-Wan's incessant lecturing anymore. He was confident of that at least. He knew what it was to be a Jedi-he had been training for eight years! He was the best Padawan in the temple in lightsaber training. And as for the rest, well, he didn't care. Sitting in a classroom was stupid anyway.

He slammed the door to his assigned rooms, glad of the solid door so that he could properly express himself. Stupid, Master, he thought. Like I wouldn't have been able to manage. Like I'm some youngling. Rrrrrrrrggggghhhh, he growled to the empty room.

Faintly, Anakin heard footsteps coming down the hallway. His training bond also told him of the approach. Obi-Wan was coming to unleash another pointless lecture on him. He wondered what it would be this time. Self-discipline, controlling emotions, service, training, blah, blah, blah, blah. Anakin put his hand across his eyes, rubbing at his temples. It made his head hurt just thinking about it.

Quietly, the door opened an inch. "Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked in a controlled tone. He was always in control. It was so annoying!

"What?" Anakin growled again, this time in the general direction of the door. He rolled his eyes when he heard Obi-Wan sigh and slip into the room. He closed the door with a small click.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan pronounced again, this time with all the disappointment he could put into one word. And Anakin knew that his name could positively drip with disappointment. He started to feel his frustration slide into the familiar shame.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms and stood with his back to the door. As if trying to prevent the prisoner from escaping.

"Do you not want to be a Jedi, Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked so quietly that Anakin grimaced even more. The quieter Obi-Wan got, the more serious he was. Not that he ever yelled, no, that would not be acceptable behavior. And Obi-Was was nothing if not 'acceptable.'

"You know that I do, Master. I just have trouble controlling sometimes. That guy was so insulting!" Anakin stomped around the small quarters and finally landed on the bed flailing his hands into the air in an act of futility.

"And what was so insulting, Anakin?" Obi-Wan inquired. He had been present for the whole incident, but he still wasn't sure what had happened. It all fell apart so quickly.

They were on Vordon IV, trying to secure a peaceful settlement between a large manufacturer and its employees. The employees maintained that working conditions were endangering their lives. The company refused to listen. The High Potentate of Vordon IV had appealed to the Jedi to mediate the problem. The biggest impasse between the two parties was that the employers and employees tended to belong to different species who both lived on Vordon IV. The employees were sentient, although less sophisticated in their culture than the company managers. The company managers thought of the employees like livestock. They served a purpose, and there was always another body to take the place of one that was lost.

But Obi-Wan had discovered in the course of the negotiations that the Vordians were every bit as sophisticated as any culture in the Republic. But they kept this from the S'kellen. They were a very private people. The only reason they even worked in the factories was because of a lengthy drought that had forced them from their land. The S'kellen were able to import food from off-planet. And the Vordians needed their currency to purchase it. They would much rather return to their fields and would when the time came. But for now, they at least wanted to make sure that their lives weren't sacrificed needlessly.

"That S'kellen, Mandar! He was acting like all of the Vordians were his slaves, not his employees. It's disgusting. And then he talked to you the same way, as if this, this-" Anakin grappled for a useful term, "XXXX was better than you! I should have threatened him with my lightsaber not just with my voice. He is nothing to a Jedi." Anakin was seething again by the end of his rant. No one treats my Master like that!

Obi-Wan had slumped fractionally as Anakin progressed in his speech. He slowly walked over to sit next to Anakin on the bed, being careful to avoid Anakin's arms as he flailed them helplessly while he spoke. Then he closed his eyes, gathering himself and centering in the Force.

"It does not matter what some minor dignitary, or factory owner, from some small planet says about me or how he says it. I am a Jedi. I know who I am. And I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself too, Anakin." Obi-Wan began. "Besides-"

Anakin couldn't help interrupting, "But how can you stand to be treated like you are nothing-"

Obi-Wan then interrupted sharply, "Peace, Padawan! A Jedi does not know ego but humility. I am here in service of the Order to help these people. How I am treated is not important. The outcome of the meetings is what is important. And you need to keep focussed on that, Padawan. I want you to spend at least two hours this evening meditating on humility." Obi-Wan sounded tired. He had been working non-stop to broker this deal for almost a standard week. Every day had been formal negotiations and every evening were informal gatherings where just as much maneuvering took place as around the negotiation table. Maybe even more. It made for long days and nights for Obi-Wan especially. Anakin was actually happy about getting out of the dinner this evening. He could use some time to himself.

Obi-Wan rested an arm around Anakin's shoulder, knowing that his charge responded to touch better than to words. As he did so, his scent wafted under Anakin's nose. Anakin's eyes closed and he breathed deeply. Let Obi-Wan think that he was trying to center himself; he was immersing himself in olfactory peace. Kriff, that smell! Anakin tried not to break out in a cold sweat. But what he really felt was a calming balm on his out-of-control emotions. He immediately felt that he could think more clearly.

"Yes, Master," he said as meekly as he could. "I will not do anything else to embarrass you or the Order."

"Good," replied Obi-Wan. "I will do my best to repair the damage that your outburst caused with Mandar today. It will take a great many of my 'Negotiator' skills, I think." Obi-Wan removed his arm from his student's shoulders.

Anakin sighed. All too soon, he thought.

"Master, if I may offer a suggestion, I think that you could make better headway with Mandar if you go through his daughter. He seems to think that she's this intergalactic beauty. Perhaps if you chatted her up you could get on his good side? I noticed her sulking last night because no one would come near her. I think the Vordonians are intimidated by her," Anakin finished. He knew that Obi-Wan would not like making polite conversation with the vile woman, knowing how crass she had been two nights previous. But she seemed to the be apple of Mandar's eye. Obi-Wan might not have noticed her sulking the previous evening, being so wrapped up with three of the Vordonian labor leaders.

"Yes," mused Obi-Wan, "Yes, that might be a worthwhile endeavor. Thank you, Anakin. I will try that route. And I will check in with you when I am finished for the evening. Until then, please try to meditate on self-control and discipline."

Anakin really did his level best to meditate as his Master asked him. But in the end, he took a shower, masturbated to a fantasy of Obi-Wan, and flopped down in front of the HoloNet. He fell asleep facing the foot of the bed, where the holo projector was situated. When Obi-Wan found him, he was lying in a small puddle of drool. Obi-Wan tried to wake him enough that he would turn himself around and get under the blankets. Bt he ended up having to drag his apprentice around on the bed. Anakin, still half asleep, snuggled against Obi-Wan's neck and said, "Mmmmm, you smell like my Master."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "Imagine that. I didn't think you had a Master, intractable Padawan."

"I do. And he smells wonderful," Anakin sounded drunk from the sleep, yawning like a big cat and then snoring lightly.

Obi-Wan ruffled his Padawan's short hair. "See you in the morning."

The next day, Anakin was as good as his word. He was courteous, polite, helpful, and actually made Obi-Wan proud. Obi-Wan didn't make mention of the smell comment from the night before. He figured Anakin wouldn't remember it anyway.

After only two more days of negotiations, Anakin and Obi-Wan were on their way back to Coruscant. Mandar's daughter had turned out to have her father's ear in all matters. It was Obi-Wan's attention to her that had made the biggest difference in the negotiations. Once Obi-Wan had approached her, the Vordonians had also begun speaking to her. She began to understand them and their plight better. She was the one who finally convinced her father to acquiesce to their demands and set the Jedi free to return to the Temple.

"How did you know, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked him on the trip home.

"I just know how I would feel if I were in a room full of people who were hostile toward me. Oh, wait, I do know how that feels in the Council Chambers. And a friend who can make you feel as if you are the most important person in the room is the very best friend you could ever have," Anakin finished with a smile for Obi-Wan. "Besides, your scent is very calming. I figured it might work on her too."

"Very funny, Anakin. I do not have a 'calming scent' like some sort of incense or candle."


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, maybe it's just me then. I think your scent is exciting and calming at the same time. Just one more of the wonderful contradictions that is Obi-Wan Kenobi," Anakin said with a squeeze of his arms. Obi-Wan gave him a raised eyebrow. "I mean, yes, please, let's test it out," Anakin said with a faint blush.

"Mmmmm," murmured Obi-Wan. "Then carry on, Padawan. Show me this invincibility. His chin rose as an invitation. Anakin ran his nose and lips over the skin savoring the smell and the feel. He then placed small, soft kisses up and down the neck. When he moved up toward Obi-Wan's ear, he changed his kisses to small nips, ending with the earlobe. Obi-Wan felt his knees weaken and was glad of the strong arms around him to keep him off the floor.

While Anakin continued his ministrations to the other side of Obi-Wan's neck, the shorter man reached for Anakin's belt. He wanted to see more of Anakin's golden skin. The belt dropped to the floor with a thud, and then his hands were spreading the dark tunics from the bottom up. His hands flowed over the tight muscles on Anakin's stomach, circling his navel with his fingers. Then they slid around to the sides of Anakin's torso and up his smooth back. Every once in a while, his perceptive fingers would find a scar or other injury from battle. But instead of moving away from them, Obi-Wan caressed them, reading the journal of Anakin's devotion to the Republic during the war.

Anakin suddenly felt the need for more skin to caress as well, and Obi-Wan's belt thumped to the floor on top of his. He pulled back from Obi-Wan's neck to admire the view as he parted the light wheat-colored tunics that always hid his Master's body from him. Sure, he and Obi-Wan had seen each other naked-they were roommates for more than a decade. But undressing each other was something they hadn't had to do unless one of them was completely unconscious from injury. And that was decidedly not erotic at all. This was personal and intimate. This was crossing lines. This was drawing new lines-lines of friendship, lines of behavior, lines of favor.

Anakin explored Obi-Wan's skin as he was being explored. Running his hands across his Master's collar bones to divest him of his tunics, Anakin noticed something he hadn't before. Obi-Wan had freckles, lots of them. And Anakin made a vow then and there that he would kiss every single one of them if it took him a lifetime to do so. But for now, he just wanted to feel with his hands. He slid the sleeves off of Obi-Wan's roped arms, enjoying knowing that those arms would always protect him from falling.

"Beautiful, Master," Anakin whispered as he ran his hands back up to the freckled shoulders. "I never noticed them before."

"I'm glad you like them. Myself, I'm really enjoying the view from here. Your skin is golden even though I know you haven't seen the sun in a while. Is it always like this?" Obi-Wan ran the palm of his hand across the top of Anakin's pectorals.

Anakin lowered his eyes to watch his Master's hand. He enjoyed the contrast of their skin tones. "Yes, the desert never leaves my skin."

"And thank goodness for that," Obi-Wan rejoined. "I like the never-ending warmth too. There has been many a night on unknown planets when your warmth near me was the only physically comforting thing I had felt in months. But you were my constant." Obi-Wan ran his hands down Anakin's belly. In response, Anakin's heat rose even higher. He could feel fire rushing through his veins.

Obi-Wan felt his blood rushing toward his groin as he held Anakin closely, and they began kissing again. Tongue sliding on tongue. The two men devoured each other as they began a slow dance across the floor toward the single cot along the wall. When their legs both encountered the edge of the bed, Anakin pushed Obi-Wan down and bent to remove his Master's boots. Then Anakin lifted a foot and allowed Obi-Wan from his lower position to slide his darker boots off as well. Now all they were wearing were their leggings.

Anakin kneeled in front of Obi-Wan, worshipping at his altar.

"Let me? Do you mind . . . .?" Obi-Wan asked as he ran his hand up Anakin's gloved arm. Anakin shook his head as Obi-Wan loosened the ties on the glove and slid it inch by inch off of the mech arm. Obi-Wan dropped the glove and ran his left hand up and down the golden metal. "I don't even think of this not being a part of you anymore. Your sacrifice for me has allowed us to come to this moment. I am forever grateful for that, in case I have not said so before."

Anakin closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensations elicited by his Master's hands on his arm. He had never allowed anyone to caress it in this manner. Why would he? Most of the time, he just kept the glove on to avoid questions and awkwardness. But it felt right to let his Master include this arm in his love and his attentions. It was his saber arm, after all.

"Mind? How could I mind you accepting me for everything that I am, flaws and all," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan looked up at Anakin sharply, "This arm is not a flaw, surely. Not the way it wields a saber in pursuit of justice and order throughout the galaxy. Now, your inability to follow the simplest instructions as well as direct orders . . . ." A slow smile spread across his face as he teased the younger man.

Anakin growled playfully as he pushed his Master back onto the cot, covering him with his longer body. "Well, why don't you give me some 'simple instructions' right now? How would you like me to break through this barricade of leggings, General? Shall I remove them with my hands," his tone lowered, "or my teeth?"

Obi-Wan moaned his desire. Leave it to Anakin to turn verbal sparring into sweet physical torture. He reached up and cupped the back of Anakin's neck, pulling him into another round of rapturous kissing. Breathless when he finally pulled away, Obi-Wan said, "I think you've earned the right to make that decision on your own, Knight Skywalker."

Smirking slowly, Anakin began a kissing trail from Obi-Wan's mouth, down his throat, across his sternum, zig-zagging across his abdomen, and ending just as the light trail of hair disappeared under the waistband of the leggings. Then he moved horizontally, using the leggings as his boundary line. Obi-Wan groaned and lifted his hips into those sinful lips. Anakin smiled, "Patience, Master."

Another groan from Obi-Wan pushed Anakin into motion again. With his teeth on the laces of the leggings, he pulled on the loose knot. As it began to unravel, he used his hands to part the seam and lightly brushed his thumbs on the exposed skin. With the knot undone, he dropped the laces and kissed the same area. Anakin was feeling dizzy with desire and sensation. And in this intimate place, just above Obi-Wan's hard cock, his Master's smell was more intense than he had ever experienced.

Anakin stilled. He maintained his physical contact with Obi-Wan, but his mind wandered into the Force. He marveled at Obi-Wan's brightness, his light. Now it was his turn to try to combine them into one. He took one deep breath, letting it out slowly and deliberately. Then he reached. Anakin reached with his soul. And when he touched Obi-Wan's soul, the dance began again. They circled, twirled, entwined with each other. It was ecstasy. Both men were paralyzed by the intensity of it. The pleasure was almost painful. And then it was sparking. And they were both climaxing in the Force.

After endless moments, Anakin opened his eyes and tried to catch his breath. Obi-Wan's chest heaved in the same way. He found himself lying with his cheek against the flat planes of Obi-Wan's stomach, but he had no strength to do more than breathe. He felt his Force signature shrinking back into him, changed again by the communion with Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan was the first to shift, gently urging Anakin off of him and up to his side. He was a mixture of sated pleasure and smug pride. He was proud of what Anakin had accomplished within the Force. I can still teach you some things, Padawan, he thought. You are so powerful. And you have gifted this power to me for my own pleasure. He slid his arm under Anakin's neck to hold him closely. He kissed his boy's neck until moaning arose from him.

"Mmmmm, Master, what you do to me," Anakin murmured.

"What I'm going to do to you," was Obi-Wan's whispered response.

He slid his hand down Anakin's torso and loosened his pants. Sliding his hand under the laces, he traced down into the fluid already spilled on Anakin's skin. Rubbing small circles there, he used his calloused knuckles to graze the head of Anakin's cock. Anakin shook from the pleasure that shot through his every nerve. With that encouragement, Obi-Wan turned his hand over to cup the organ and trace the edge of the foreskin with his thumb. Then he turned his body toward Anakin and kissed him greedily on his half-parted lips.

Anakin's hand now sought out Obi-Wan's half open fly. He tugged to open it fully, and grasped his Master in his flesh hand. Overeager, he pulled quickly and roughly until Obi-Wan's hand covered his to still him. Without a word, his Master showed him how to please him. Anakin was always a fast learner. And with the added element of motivation, he could exceed his lessons even faster. He learned Obi-Wan's pace and his preferences. The auburn-haired man threw back his head and groaned his pleasure. Anakin smiled as he kissed around his Master's neck.

After adjusting to the feel of Anakin's hand, Obi-Wan resumed his hand's position on the younger man's full cock. He pulled on Anakin's leggings, urging him to raise up and shimmy them down to his knees and off of his legs. They joined their mouths again as they sent Obi-Wan's leggings following Anakin's to the floor.

"Wait," Obi-Wan gasped, pulling Anakin back from him with his hand on his shoulder. "Have there been any others, Anakin? Do you know what you want from me?"

Anakin looked into Obi-Wan's eyes, and confessed, "I have had sex with women in the past, Master. But, no, I have no experience here. As you might have already guessed." Anakin gave Obi-Wan's cock a small squeeze.

Obi-Wan smiled gently and slid his hand off of Anakin's cock, over his hip to cup his firm cheek. "We will only engage in what makes you comfortable, love. I have experience, but it has been a very long time. And it was never in a mixture of this kind of emotion and heightened sensations. I almost feel lost in you already."

Anakin leaned in and kissed Obi-Wan chastely. Then he said, "Teach me, Master. I want to know you in every way possible. I want to erase any memory of another person from your body. Love me, take me-I am yours."

"You were right, Anakin. Love has made you selfless..."

THE END


	7. Revision, Chapter 1

Author's Note: I re-read this story recently and realized it could be so much more and so much better. So I'm revising it. I'll post the new story with the old, both complete. Some of the ideas I wanted to explore got lost in the rush to say too much at once. Hopefully, this revision will make them clearer.

Oh, and I will be adding to the sex at the end. That should make some of you fairly happy.

* * *

Title: Never Out Of My Sight or My Heart (Revised)

Master?

Yes, Anakin.

I believe that love is selfless. What do you believe?

I believe that I am very tired, Anakin.

I'm serious, Obi-Wan.

So am I.

* * *

Generals Kenobi and Skywalker were on a return trip from another successful, but long and costly, campaign in the Outer Rim. This time, they waged battles on three different planets for control of one system. Too many Clones had been sacrificed, in their opinion.

On one particularly inhospitable planet, they had lost two out of every three Clones landed. 'Man down' rang in their ears the entire time they were there. The medics couldn't keep up, and Obi-Wan was fairly certain that they left some survivors behind when they had to retreat and re-group. Luckily, some of them had survived until they were able to re-take the area. Not all though.

The toll on the morale of the 501st was palpable. Brothers were left behind. Brothers were sacrificed. Brothers that would never walk into the barracks or the mess with them again. Anakin had never seen the troops so low. He swore that he even heard snuffling from some of them. They truly were brothers, these soldiers. And they were human.

He had railed at the Council over the holocom. "They are dying in unacceptable numbers! And for what? This pissy little backwater in the Outer Rim. What is its significance again? Oh, that's right. The Seppies wanted it, so we have to oust them. It's not worth the life we are losing!"

Obi-Wan agreed with Anakin in his calm manner, "Anakin is right. The casualties as well as their effects on the emotional state of the troops is more loss than we had calculated. Every campaign has its losses, but this is a massacre. Do we have your permission to pull out?"

Mace Windu and Yoda exchanged glances in their peculiar way. "I'm sorry, General. With the fall of Richi Sector, this system has suddenly become a very important route through that area of space. We need a place for safe passage. You're just going to have to find a way," Mace explained to a disheartened Obi-Wan. "May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin and said with as much sarcasm as he could, "Yes, well, that was helpful."

"Arrrgghh!" was Anakin's only reply as he stomped out of the communications tent. He needed to check on the troops anyway. "Stupid Mace Windu," he mumbled. "He wouldn't know how to find his way out of a paper bag, even with the Force!"

Captain Rex fell in beside his commanding officer, asking "What's the good word, General?"

Anakin gave him a sidelong look. "Don't ask, Rex. Same old shit on a different day. We need a new strategy if we're going to get any of us out of this alive. Round up the best strategists and meet in the command center at 0900."

"Right away, General," Rex saluted and trotted off in the mud.

With a good deal of ingenuity and just plain grit, they managed to ground out a victory in the system. But the toll on the Clones was still very high. Anakin heard the men talking in the mess, in the hangar, in the hallways, everywhere about their fallen brothers. There were reminisces, bawdy stories, tales of valor. But through it all, Anakin noticed that there was emotion.

There was regard for each other. He saw offers of physical and emotional support between many of the men within their units. It got him thinking about the nature of attachment on the battlefield. How you asked someone to put his life into your hands and put your own into his. How emotions would grow around the circumstances of saving each other's lives. Loving the man next to you in battle would do very little for your own self-preservation, but it might make you do something pretty heroic for him.

* * *

Anakin resumed his train of thought as he and Obi-Wan settled into adjoining chairs on the Observation deck. Now that they had a brief respite, and he had Obi-Wan all to himself, he wanted to pursue this conversation about love and attachment.

He began, "But loving means giving of yourself. Trusting yourself with someone else. Entrusting yourself to someone else. How is that selfish?" He threw up his hands in exasperation that had been building up for weeks.

Anakin continued when Obi-Wan just looked at him and stroked his beard in his thoughtful manner. "Hatred is selfish. Hating someone because they aren't what you want or do things you don't like? That's selfishness personified-to hate is to indulge the self. But to love?" Anakin paused again to see if Obi-Wan was still listening.

when he resumed again, his voice was softer. "To love is to surrender the self. Like we surrender to the Force and let it flow through us."  
Anakin had wanted to talk to Obi-Wan about this for so long. He needed to get a handle on these emotions and thoughts before they consumed him.

Finally, Obi-Wan turned his head and dropped his hands to clasp in his lap. "But what of attachment from love, Anakin? Doesn't love automatically come with attachment?" Obi-Wan sounded more interested in the conversation, and he was ready to play devil's advocate to help Anakin work through his frustration.

Anakin looked at his former Master, searching his eyes for sincerity and caring. More hesitantly, he answered Obi-Wan, "Well, attachment through love simply means that you are even more selfless-you are attached not to your self, but to another luminous Force-being. Think about it, Obi-Wan. Someone who loved another- Someone who had a love-" Anakin stumbled trying to take the last step toward baring his mind and heart..

"I'm listening," Obi-Wan encouraged.

The younger man ran a hand through his hair in his own patented 'thoughtful manner'. "I know, I know. I'm trying to give an example-a concrete example of love and trust and goodness and selflessness. But I'm afraid-," Anakin uttered the last sentence in a whisper.

Obi-Wan lifted a calming hand toward his former apprentice. "I like that you think, Anakin. I like that you are true to yourself, even as you question. We are as the Force has made us. And between you and me, there are no secrets, no doubts, no questions that cannot be asked and answered honestly."

Anakin was still surprised to hear Obi-Wan speak to him so much like an equal. He had been knighted months before, but their relationship had been slow to evolve. Obi-Wan had seemed reluctant to let go of his role as the Master, always in charge and calling the shots. But the longer they were engaged in fierce battles, the more equitable their relationship was becoming. That, as much as anything, had led Anakin to want to straighten out his thoughts about his attachment to Obi-Wan.

"Ok, let me try again," Anakin said with a labored sigh. "What if someone who was an honorable, giving, self-sacrificing person was loved by someone who was-less-those things? Wouldn't loving the goodness keep them both in the Light?"

Obi-Wan let a small smile creep onto his lips.. "Do you mean to ask if love would make the Lover a better person?"

"Yes, I think I do," Anakin replied with his own smile.

Both men were feeling a great warmth building between them. The honesty of their exchange was relaxing them more than they had been in months. Obi-Wan felt like he was melting into his chair; he was appreciating the simple act of disengaging his body and re engaging his mind on something other than battle strategy. Debating philosophy with Anakin was refreshing. And Anakin as well felt a peace descending on him as they communed.

Obi-Wan ventured, "So then, by your argument, love becomes the tool with which to battle the darkness of attachment, greed, and jealousy. The Beloved has become a beacon of the Light side of the Force?"

Anakin started up from his chair in excitement. "Yes, Master! We are, after all, as the Force made us," Anakin smirked at using Obi-Wan's own words again. "Why would the Force give us these feelings, these passions and needs if we weren't supposed to draw strength from them? To help each other. To make the galaxy a better place."

He needed Obi-Wan to understand.

"What prompted these questions?" Obi-Wan had had discussions with Anakin in the past about love and attachment, but not recently. And never to this depth or sophistication. He found himself admiring Anakin's maturity.

"The troopers," Anakin said quietly and dropped his eyes. "They do so much for each other. Support each other through so many harrowing circumstances. How can their attachment to each other, and the valor it breeds, be detrimental?"

Anakin had always loved someone in the course of his lifetime, beginning with his mother. And ending with Obi-Wan-his mentor, his brother, his best friend, his Master, his-

Soul mate. He knew he could never survive without love in his life.

TBC


	8. Revision, Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"I love you so much, mom," a five-year old Anakin said as he squeezed his mom tight.

"I love you, Ani," she replied with a return hug.

"Say, 'I love you _too_, mom!'" Anakin insisted. "That's the right way to say it."

Shmi smiled at her little boy. His heart was so big. He was always dragging some stray creature or person home with him. "I love you _too_," she repeated.

His latest acquisition wrapped itself around her legs as she tried to shuffle around without stepping on the feline. "What are you going to name her, Anakin?"

"I haven't decided yet," Anakin frowned in concentration.

"Well," his mother said, bending over to palpate her sides with gentle fingers. "Perhaps, Mama Kitty? She's going to have some kittens soon."

"She is?"Anakin breathed reverently. "Oh, boy! Then I'll have even more pets!"

"Or perhaps you could share some of the kits with your friends . . ." Shmi suggested.

"Yeah! Then we can all have more love. Hooray!" Anakin ran out the front door to share his good news with his friends. Shmi just looked after him and shook her head. The world was too cruel a place for a child with as big a heart as that one, she thought.

* * *

Back on board the _Resolute_, Anakin took several deep breaths and let his eyes play among the stars.

After quiet reflection on the troopers, he continued, "Isn't the Force love itself? Isn't that what makes love so compelling, and, to come careening back to my original question, isn't that what makes love selfless and desirable for Jedi? Why are we taught not to feel these things?" His tone had turned so desperate. It made Obi-Wan want to instinctively draw back even as he deliberately drew closer forward.

"Anakin," he began, full of compassion and understanding. "We are taught to let go of our feelings, not to not feel them at all. When your mind is quiet, former Padawan mine, then the Force speaks most clearly to you." Obi-Wan began to wonder where he went wrong in Anakin's training that he had such a dismal view of the Order. We aren't a group of sociopaths, emotionless droids.

He needed Anakin to understand.

And, suddenly, it wasn't just Anakin who was invested in this conversation. their level of intensity finally matched. the older man continued, "When I let the Force flow through me, I cease to be my Self. I am a tool of the Force, and happily so. I can see the connections between all living creatures, between all matter and all energy. It is as blissful as love, Anakin. Have you never experienced such a thing?" Obi-Wan had little doubt that Anakin had not. Perhaps the time had come to take this task a little more firmly into his own hands. _Telling_ Anakin had not worked; he must be _shown_.

Weighing Obi-Wan's words as he listened, Anakin rushed to ask, "Do you love the Force, Obi-Wan?" His mixed emotions surrounding his Master's answer shown plainly on his face.

"I am one with the Force, Anakin. Do I love my own heart? Do I love my own breath? Do I love the cells in my body? I am One with all of them. It is existence; it is life." _And it's high time you experienced this type of living, Anakin, Obi-Wan decided._ His former apprentice had missed a fundamental facet of being Force-sensitive.

Obi-Wan had long suspected, but kept his own council, as to whether Anakin's amazing connection to the Force was the same as others except stronger. Perhaps the strength itself changed how Anakin experienced it. It was possible that he had missed out on knowing what it was to be One with the Force in a way that was more passive and accepting. Anakin had always fought with authority. He might have had a similar reaction to the Force that he had to the Council or to himself as a teacher and mentor.

Obi-Wan had always assumed it had to do with Anakin's personality and background. But now he reconsidered. Perhaps his arrogance sprang from his inability to fully experience the Force in the most fulfilling manner. Maybe he didn't know the way Obi-Wan reveled in it. The submission to it became a mastery over one's own contentment and joy.

Anakin drew his eyes from the fathomless emptiness of space to the fathomless depths of his Master's expressive eyes. "Have you ever been in love, Master?" he asked.

Obi-Wan looked into Anakin's deep blue eyes. "Yes, Anakin. I have been. I am. I continue to be. In love," Obi-Wan gave Anakin a tight smile. He regretted nothing. If he had any hope of teaching Anakin this lesson of the Force, then he could not afford to hold anything of himself back.

"And," Anakin cleared the lump in his throat, "How do you love?" He was so confused despite the forthright nature of their conversation. He felt like he was falling without any hope of landing softly.

Obi-Wan's smile widened. He said, "I enjoy the love I have. Spending time together, enjoying each other, learning about each other. That's requited love, in whatever form it comes. The Force has given me my love; I accept it without question."

Anakin flushed at this admission-he had never suspected his Master of such deep feelings. In fact, there were times during his adolescence when he would have sworn that Obi-Wan was divorced of any human emotions so common and tawdry as love.

But then a great fear gripped his heart. "What about the Code?" he whispered, terrified of the answer.

Obi-Wan continued to answer honestly, "The Code has changed through the millennia. I believe we are on the cusp of another change. The Clone Wars have changed the Order and the galaxy irreparably. We have all touched the Darkness. We have seen what it can do. And we also have seen what attachments, bonds, and partnerships can do. They bring out the best in us. Loyalty, brotherhood, honor-honoring the life of those around us. How can we deny the strength that these things give us not only on the battlefield but in our lives?"

Obi-Wan felt himself positively vibrating with his desire to reach out to his friend. There was so much he wanted to share with the young man-that he should have shared with him over the years. But, no, he scolded himself, no regrets. The past cannot be changed. All we can do is be mindful of the present and choose to shape our future.

"Let me show you," Obi-Wan almost pleaded, although he knew there was no real need to request permission. Anakin was nearly an open book of unspent passions coiling around the two of them where they sat.

Obi-Wan reached out a hand to cup Anakin's jaw. His thumb caressed the high cheekbone as he looked deeply into the younger man's eyes. They both felt the deep connection forming through that simple touch. Dropping his hand from Anakin's face to gather the younger hands, entwining their fingers together as if they had always done so, the oneness of their hands was astonishing to each of them. They both looked at the joined flesh and mechanical appendages. Obi-Wan's forehead met Anakin's softly.

The older man's eyes were closed, and he was concentrating on Anakin's Force signature. _Come with me_, his signature whispered to his student. Anakin surrendered unconditionally for the first time in his life to anyone or anything. He didn't know he had it in him to be able to do so. Obi-Wan worked miracles, he mused.

Their shields collapsed completely and their energies swirled together. _Feel me, my love_, that-which-was-essentially Obi-Wan said to that-which-was-essentially Anakin.

_Feel how we melt together, how we were meant to do so. I have wanted this moment, for you to experience it with me. I should have shown you before. But now, feel my love, my embrace in the Force_. Anakin's body started to hum in tune to Obi-Wan's essence. Then it changed slightly as he began to entwine and alter the timbre of Obi-Wan. They were irreparably changing each other.

And it was more than anything Anakin had ever imagined. He had always scorned meditation because of his inability to sit still for very long. He could never understand what was so useful about it. But now, with his Master's help and within his Master, he had discovered what he had been missing from his Jedi training and his understanding of the Force. Peace. Comfort. Communion. Understanding. And above all, all-consuming, unconditional love. He felt the Force in ways he didn't know he could or should.

This level of communion changed Obi-Wan as well. He felt parts of himself opening up to Anakin that he hadn't even known he possessed. He felt more centered, more alive with Anakin's essence joined to his own. He even felt a little like taking a reckless drive around Coruscant in the fastest speeder he could find. Obi-Wan's smile broke across his face, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the same smile across the younger man's face.

"That was-" Anakin started, clearly breathless.

"I know," Obi-Wan agreed, just as breathless. He brought a hand up to Anakin's cheek and pulled his lips closer, stopping first to nuzzle their noses together.

Taking a deep breath, Anakin raised his hands to rest on either side of Obi-Wan's face, holding him gently but not allowing him to escape the intimacy of their position. Softly, he spoke the most important words of his life, "You are my truest love, Obi-Wan. I have always loved you, though I have not always known how to express it."

Finally, they both felt their words were spent and action was preferable to anything else.

Moving toward each other, pulling on each other's hands and arms, they met halfway in a kiss that was the most perfect version of any first kiss. They melted together as if they had always known the best way to fit. The rhythm of their kiss, their breathing, their heartbeats all synchronized in that moment. The Force sang across their bond, uniting them completely until there was no beginning and no ending of either of them. It was bliss.

When Obi-Wan broke the kiss, he stood and offered Anakin his hand. "Come," he said quietly. "Let's be alone."

As he said these words, the door to the room slid open, and several Clones walked in. They had a meeting scheduled in the observation room.

"Sorry, Generals. Were you finished?" The senior Clone asked.

"Yes, Commander. We are retiring. Com us if anything comes up." Obi-Wan was the consummate General even though his body was humming with different ideas for 'retirement' than the Clone probably imagined.


	9. Revision, Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **This chapter was actually in pretty good shape, I thought.

* * *

Chapter 3

The two Jedi walked shoulder-to-shoulder down the corridor. Every few steps, their hands would brush against each other. And they couldn't help but search out each other's eyes as well.

When they reached Obi-Wan's quarters, he smiled cheekily and said, "Your place or mine?"

"Oh, yours, definitely. Mine's a wreck. You'd have to clean before we could continue talking." Anakin confirmed. He wasn't given to cleaning up the dirt and detritus that he tracked into his quarters after each deployment. It was starting to look like the floor of a forest or cave in there.

Obi-Wan hung his head with a smile. "Oh, Anakin," he started.

"Just, never mind," Anakin said and put his hand between Obi-Wan's shoulder blades to gently push him into the room and let the doors slide closed behind them. They both chuckled.

When they were finally alone, Anakin slid the hand from Obi-Wan's back, up and over his shoulders, hugging him across the chest. His other arm snaked around Obi-Wan's waist. Then Anakin rested his chin on his Master's shoulder. Obi-Wan raised both hands to hold onto the arm around his chest.

"I never want to let go," Anakin said.

"Then don't," was the rejoinder.

Turning his face ever-so-slightly toward the slim neck, Anakin breathed in all that was the scent of his one love. He had luxuriated in this smell for twelve years. It had chased away his fears. It had calmed his anger. And it had always, always helped him focus on what was important. Obi-Wan might be the perfect Jedi, in complete control of himself at all times, but his perfection to Anakin was his ability to control him.

And it didn't even seem to be something that Obi-Wan did consciously. It was more an effect of pheromones. Force knew that it wasn't Obi-Wan's lecturing or platitudes that had any calming effect on him. That was certain.

Anakin snorted at this thought.

"What?" Obi-Wan asked, slightly suspicious of Anakin's humor.

Anakin squeezed him reassuringly. "I was just thinking that you should have bottled your scent and given it to me to wear like cologne so that I could always have a calming influence around me," he informed Obi-Wan.

"Huh," Obi-Wan scoffed. "As if that would have helped when you were ready to take the head off of someone who had made some innocuous observation about me," he observed. "You have always been too quick to defend me. I can take care of myself-especially when we're talking about words." Obi-Wan turned toward Anakin just enough to brush the side of his beard against Anakin's lips.

Anakin turned Obi-Wan's face toward him and leaned in for a lingering kiss, and then confessed against those soft lips, "You don't know, Master, your lectures never worked at all. They just made me feel inadequate. Your smell makes me feel infallible." Anakin took another deep breath before loosening his grip and allowing Obi-Wan to face him. "Like I can do no wrong."

"I like the sound of that. Shall we put it to the test?" Obi-Wan said, turning in Anakin's embrace and looking the younger man up and down with lowered eyelids, his voice husky and seductive.

* * *

Anakin was seventeen, and every inch of him was cocksure and arrogant. He didn't have to listen to Obi-Wan's incessant lecturing anymore. He was confident of that at least. He knew what it was to be a Jedi-he had been training for eight years! He was the best Padawan in the temple in lightsaber training. And as for the rest, well, he didn't care. Sitting in a classroom was stupid anyway.

He slammed the door to his assigned rooms, glad of the solid door so that he could properly express himself. Stupid, Master, he thought. Like I wouldn't have been able to manage. Like I'm some youngling. Rrrrrrrrggggghhhh, he growled to the empty room.

Faintly, Anakin heard footsteps coming down the hallway. His training bond also told him of the approach. Obi-Wan was coming to unleash another pointless lecture on him. He wondered what it would be this time. Self-discipline, controlling emotions, service, training, blah, blah, blah, blah. Anakin put his hand across his eyes, rubbing at his temples. It made his head hurt just thinking about it.

Quietly, the door opened an inch. "Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked in a controlled tone. He was always in control. It was so annoying!

"What?" Anakin growled again, this time in the general direction of the door. He rolled his eyes when he heard Obi-Wan sigh and slip into the room. He closed the door with a small click.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan pronounced again, this time with all the disappointment he could put into one word. And Anakin knew that his name could positively drip with disappointment. He started to feel his frustration slide into the familiar shame.

Obi-Wan crossed his arms and stood with his back to the door. As if trying to prevent the prisoner from escaping.

"Do you not want to be a Jedi, Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked so quietly that Anakin grimaced even more. The quieter Obi-Wan got, the more serious he was. Not that he ever yelled, no, that would not be acceptable behavior. And Obi-Was was nothing if not 'acceptable.'

"You know that I do, Master. I just have trouble controlling sometimes. That guy was so insulting!" Anakin stomped around the small quarters and finally landed on the bed flailing his hands into the air in an act of futility.

"And what was so insulting, Anakin?" Obi-Wan inquired. He had been present for the whole incident, but he still wasn't sure what had happened. It all fell apart so quickly.

They were on Vordon IV, trying to secure a peaceful settlement between a large manufacturer and its employees. The employees maintained that working conditions were endangering their lives. The company refused to listen. The High Potentate of Vordon IV had appealed to the Jedi to mediate the problem. The biggest impasse between the two parties was that the employers and employees tended to belong to different species who both lived on Vordon IV. The employees were sentient, although less sophisticated in their culture than the company managers. The company managers thought of the employees like livestock. They served a purpose, and there was always another body to take the place of one that was lost.

But Obi-Wan had discovered in the course of the negotiations that the Vordians were every bit as sophisticated as any culture in the Republic. But they kept this from the S'kellen. They were a very private people. The only reason they even worked in the factories was because of a lengthy drought that had forced them from their land. The S'kellen were able to import food from off-planet. And the Vordians needed their currency to purchase it. They would much rather return to their fields and would when the time came. But for now, they at least wanted to make sure that their lives weren't sacrificed needlessly.

"That S'kellen, Mandar! He was acting like all of the Vordians were his slaves, not his employees. It's disgusting. And then he talked to you the same way, as if this, this-" Anakin grappled for a useful term, "XXXX was better than you! I should have threatened him with my lightsaber not just with my voice. He is nothing to a Jedi." Anakin was seething again by the end of his rant. No one treats my Master like that!

Obi-Wan had slumped fractionally as Anakin progressed in his speech. He slowly walked over to sit next to Anakin on the bed, being careful to avoid Anakin's arms as he flailed them helplessly while he spoke. Then he closed his eyes, gathering himself and centering in the Force.

"It does not matter what some minor dignitary, or factory owner, from some small planet says about me or how he says it. I am a Jedi. I know who I am. And I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself too, Anakin." Obi-Wan began. "Besides-"

Anakin couldn't help interrupting, "But how can you stand to be treated like you are nothing-"

Obi-Wan then interrupted sharply, "Peace, Padawan! A Jedi does not know ego but humility. I am here in service of the Order to help these people. How I am treated is not important. The outcome of the meetings is what is important. And you need to keep focussed on that, Padawan. I want you to spend at least two hours this evening meditating on humility." Obi-Wan sounded tired. He had been working non-stop to broker this deal for almost a standard week. Every day had been formal negotiations and every evening were informal gatherings where just as much maneuvering took place as around the negotiation table. Maybe even more. It made for long days and nights for Obi-Wan especially. Anakin was actually happy about getting out of the dinner this evening. He could use some time to himself.

Obi-Wan rested an arm around Anakin's shoulder, knowing that his charge responded to touch better than to words. As he did so, his scent wafted under Anakin's nose. Anakin's eyes closed and he breathed deeply. Let Obi-Wan think that he was trying to center himself; he was immersing himself in olfactory peace. Kriff, that smell! Anakin tried not to break out in a cold sweat. But what he really felt was a calming balm on his out-of-control emotions. He immediately felt that he could think more clearly.

"Yes, Master," he said as meekly as he could. "I will not do anything else to embarrass you or the Order."

"Good," replied Obi-Wan. "I will do my best to repair the damage that your outburst caused with Mandar today. It will take a great many of my 'Negotiator' skills, I think." Obi-Wan removed his arm from his student's shoulders.

Anakin sighed. All too soon, he thought.

"Master, if I may offer a suggestion, I think that you could make better headway with Mandar if you go through his daughter. He seems to think that she's this intergalactic beauty. Perhaps if you chatted her up you could get on his good side? I noticed her sulking last night because no one would come near her. I think the Vordonians are intimidated by her," Anakin finished. He knew that Obi-Wan would not like making polite conversation with the vile woman, knowing how crass she had been two nights previous. But she seemed to the be apple of Mandar's eye. Obi-Wan might not have noticed her sulking the previous evening, being so wrapped up with three of the Vordonian labor leaders.

"Yes," mused Obi-Wan, "Yes, that might be a worthwhile endeavor. Thank you, Anakin. I will try that route. And I will check in with you when I am finished for the evening. Until then, please try to meditate on self-control and discipline."

Anakin really did his level best to meditate as his Master asked him. But in the end, he took a shower, masturbated to a fantasy of Obi-Wan, and flopped down in front of the HoloNet. He fell asleep facing the foot of the bed, where the holo projector was situated. When Obi-Wan found him, he was lying in a small puddle of drool. Obi-Wan tried to wake him enough that he would turn himself around and get under the blankets. Bt he ended up having to drag his apprentice around on the bed. Anakin, still half asleep, snuggled against Obi-Wan's neck and said, "Mmmmm, you smell like my Master."

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, "Imagine that. I didn't think you had a Master, intractable Padawan."

"I do. And he smells wonderful," Anakin sounded drunk from the sleep, yawning like a big cat and then snoring lightly.

Obi-Wan ruffled his Padawan's short hair. "See you in the morning."

The next day, Anakin was as good as his word. He was courteous, polite, helpful, and actually made Obi-Wan proud. Obi-Wan didn't make mention of the smell comment from the night before. He figured Anakin wouldn't remember it anyway.

After only two more days of negotiations, Anakin and Obi-Wan were on their way back to Coruscant. Mandar's daughter had turned out to have her father's ear in all matters. It was Obi-Wan's attention to her that had made the biggest difference in the negotiations. Once Obi-Wan had approached her, the Vordonians had also begun speaking to her. She began to understand them and their plight better. She was the one who finally convinced her father to acquiesce to their demands and set the Jedi free to return to the Temple.

"How did you know, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked him on the trip home.

"I just know how I would feel if I were in a room full of people who were hostile toward me. Oh, wait, I do know how that feels in the Council Chambers. And a friend who can make you feel as if you are the most important person in the room is the very best friend you could ever have," Anakin finished with a smile for Obi-Wan. "Besides, your scent is very calming. I figured it might work on her too."

"Very funny, Anakin. I do not have a 'calming scent' like some sort of incense or candle."


	10. Revision, Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After their intimate communion in the Force, and knowing Obi-Wan for so many years, Anakin was surprised by his Master's seductive advances even in the relative privacy of his quarters. He let it show on his face.

"I had no idea," he murmured into Obi-Wan's hair, one hand letting the silky strands flow through his fingers as his eyes traces the beloved facial features.

"Idea about what?" Obi-Wan returned the murmur, obviously distracted by his partner's motions, his eyes half-lidded in enjoyment.

Anakin smiled and spoke between a trail of kisses up and down Obi-Wan's regal neck. "Whenever I imagined us, I always saw myself seducing you. But I'm feeling quite seduced myself-by your voice alone." He ended his statement with a low purr of happiness.

"Mmmm, once again," he stopped to gasp. "You underestimate your old Master. I have many talents that I do not display in public and certainly not just for anyone." This admission sent shivers up and down Anakin, centering in his groin and making him more than a little light-headed.

"Obi-Wan," the young man groaned into the skin under his lips. His grip tightened on the slighter body feeling the latent strength in the trunk. He thought about their history, how they had trained together, built their strength together. It seemed fitting that that which they used to combat their enemies would also be used to love each other. "Show me," he whispered into an ear he had just finished nibbling.

"It would be my pleasure, love," Obi-Wan responded. Having pronounced his willingness, nay his eagerness, the Master reached for his student's belt. He wanted to see more of Anakin's golden skin. The belt dropped to the floor with a thud, and then his hands were spreading the dark tunics from the bottom up. His hands flowed over the tight muscles on Anakin's stomach, circling his navel with his fingers. Then they slid around to the sides of Anakin's torso and up his smooth back. Every once in a while, his perceptive fingers would find a scar or other injury from battle. But instead of moving away from them, Obi-Wan caressed them, reading the journal of Anakin's devotion to the Republic during the war-his devotion to Obi-Wan.

Anakin suddenly felt the need for more skin to caress as well, and Obi-Wan's belt thumped to the floor on top of his. He pulled back from Obi-Wan's neck to admire the view as he parted the light wheat-colored tunics that always hid his Master's body from him. Sure, he and Obi-Wan had seen each other naked-they were roommates for more than a decade. But undressing each other was something they hadn't had to do unless one of them was completely unconscious from injury. And that was decidedly not erotic at all. This was personal and intimate. This was crossing lines. This was drawing new lines-lines of friendship, lines of behavior, lines of favor.

And Anakin favored tasting Obi-Wan until his own pores secreted the same scent.

Running his hands across his Master's collar bones to divest him of his tunics, Anakin noticed something he hadn't before. Obi-Wan had freckles, lots of them. And Anakin made a vow then and there that he would kiss every single one of them if it took him a lifetime to do so. But for now, he just wanted to feel with his hands. He slid the sleeves off of Obi-Wan's roped arms, enjoying knowing that those arms would always protect him from falling.

"Beautiful, Master," Anakin whispered as he ran his hands back up to the freckled shoulders. "I never noticed them before."

"I'm glad you like them. Myself, I'm really enjoying the view from here. Your skin is golden even though I know you haven't seen the sun in a while. Is it always like this?" Obi-Wan ran the palm of his hand across the top of Anakin's pectorals.

Anakin lowered his eyes to watch his Master's hand. He enjoyed the contrast of their skin tones. "Yes, the desert never leaves my skin."

"And thank goodness for that," Obi-Wan rejoined. "I like the never-ending warmth too. There has been many a night on unknown planets when your warmth near me was the only physically comforting thing I had felt in months. But you were my constant." Obi-Wan ran his hands down Anakin's belly. In response, Anakin's heat rose even higher. He could feel fire rushing through his veins.

Obi-Wan felt his blood rushing toward his groin as he held Anakin closely, and they began kissing again. Tongue sliding on tongue. The two men devoured each other as they began a slow dance across the floor toward the single cot along the wall.

Anakin detached his lips from Obi-Wan's just long enough to utter, "Make love to me, Obi-Wan. I need to feel you with my body as well as my mind."

Smiling indulgently, Obi-Wan responded, "Of course. Whatever you desire." He lifted a hand to trace the swollen and moist skin of Anakin's lips with one index finger. Anakin opened his lips slightly and touched the end of his tongue to the finger. More of Obi-Wan's taste exploded in his mouth. Obi-Wan added another finger and pushed them forward into his lover's expectant mouth.

Anakin licked and sucked on those fingers as if his life depended on it.

As the young man enjoyed the facsimile of sex, Obi-Wan's other hand snuck around to clutch at Anakin's firm ass. He squeezed a cheek then removed his slick fingers to join his other hand southward. But this hand slipped under the waistband of Anakin's leggings to graze up along the crease in the center. Anakin moaned as Obi-Wan teased his opening with one slick finger, just barely penetrating him and wiggling slightly.

Again, Anakin was surprised at Obi-Wan's prowess but also profoundly grateful to be on the receiving end. He instinctively grabbed onto Obi-Wan's shoulders to steady himself as his head fell back and his eyes closed.

"Whoa," Obi-Wan said as he normalized the full weight of a pleasure-overloaded Anakin. "Too much?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

Anakin's head slowly swiveled back up to face the bearded man. He licked his lips slowly to stimulate his saliva production which seemed to have mysteriously stopped, leaving him with a very dry mouth. He locked eyes with Obi-Wan and said, gruffly, "Never."

Obi-Wan chuckled at that brave statement and removed his hands. Gently, he guided Anakin down to the bed to remove his boots. Anakin watches him languidly, running his hands along Obi-Wan's shoulders as the muscles shifted with his Master's efforts.

Free of his heavy boots, Anakin took hold of those shoulders and switched their places.

Anakin knelt in front of Obi-Wan, worshipping at his altar.

"Let me? Do you mind . . . .?" Obi-Wan asked as he ran his hand up Anakin's gloved arm. Anakin shook his head as Obi-Wan loosened the ties on the glove and slid it inch by inch off of the mech arm. Obi-Wan dropped the glove and ran his left hand up and down the golden metal. "I don't even think of this not being a part of you anymore. Your sacrifice for me has allowed us to come to this moment. I am forever grateful for that, in case I have not said so before."

Anakin closed his eyes and concentrated on the sensations elicited by his Master's hands on his arm. He had never allowed anyone to caress it in this manner. Why would he? Most of the time, he just kept the glove on to avoid questions and awkwardness. But it felt right to let his Master include this arm in his love and his attentions. It was his saber arm, after all.

"Mind? How could I mind you accepting me for everything that I am, flaws and all," Anakin said.

Obi-Wan looked up at Anakin sharply, "This arm is not a flaw, surely. Not the way it wields a saber in pursuit of justice and order throughout the galaxy. Now, your inability to follow the simplest instructions as well as direct orders . . . ." A slow smile spread across his face as he teased the younger man.

Anakin growled playfully as he pushed his Master back onto the cot, covering him with his longer body. "Well, why don't you give me some 'simple instructions' right now? How would you like me to break through this barricade of leggings, General? Shall I remove them with my hands," his tone lowered, "or my teeth?"

Obi-Wan moaned his desire. Leave it to Anakin to turn verbal sparring into sweet physical torture. He reached up and cupped the back of Anakin's neck, pulling him into another round of rapturous kissing. Breathless when he finally pulled away, Obi-Wan said, "I think you've earned the right to make that decision on your own, Knight Skywalker."

Smirking slowly, Anakin began a kissing trail from Obi-Wan's mouth, down his throat, across his sternum, zig-zagging across his abdomen, and ending just as the light trail of hair disappeared under the waistband of the leggings. Then he moved horizontally, using the leggings as his boundary line. Obi-Wan groaned and lifted his hips into those sinful lips. Anakin smiled, "Patience, Master."

Another groan from Obi-Wan pushed Anakin into motion again. With his teeth on the laces of the leggings, he pulled on the loose knot. As it began to unravel, he used his hands to part the seam and lightly brushed his thumbs on the exposed skin. With the knot undone, he dropped the laces and kissed the same area. Anakin was feeling dizzy with desire and sensation. And in this intimate place, just above Obi-Wan's hard cock, his Master's smell was more intense than he had ever experienced.

Anakin stilled. He maintained his physical contact with Obi-Wan, but his mind wandered into the Force. He marveled at Obi-Wan's brightness, his light. Now it was his turn to try to combine them into one. He took one deep breath, letting it out slowly and deliberately. Then he reached. Anakin reached with his soul. And when he touched Obi-Wan's soul, the dance began again. They circled, twirled, entwined with each other. It was ecstasy. Both men were paralyzed by the intensity of it. The pleasure was almost painful. And then it was sparking. And they were both climaxing in the Force.

After endless moments, Anakin opened his eyes and tried to catch his breath. Obi-Wan's chest heaved in the same way. He found himself lying with his cheek against the flat planes of Obi-Wan's stomach, but he had no strength to do more than breathe. He felt his Force signature shrinking back into him, changed again by the communion with Obi-Wan. The brightness of Obi-Wan was pulling Anakin out of the lingering dark that seemed to follow him no matter where or what.

Obi-Wan was the first to shift, gently urging Anakin off of him and up to his side. He was a mixture of sated pleasure and smug pride. He was proud of what Anakin had accomplished within the Force.

I can still teach you some things, Padawan, he thought. You are so powerful. And you have gifted this power to me for my own pleasure. He slid his arm under Anakin's neck to hold him closely. He kissed his boy's neck until moaning arose from him.

"Mmmmm, Master, what you do to me," Anakin murmured.

"What I'm going to do to you," was Obi-Wan's whispered response.

He slid his hand down Anakin's torso and loosened his pants. Sliding his hand under the laces, he traced down into the fluid already spilled on Anakin's skin. Rubbing small circles there, he used his calloused knuckles to graze the head of Anakin's cock. Anakin shook from the pleasure that shot through his every nerve. With that encouragement, Obi-Wan turned his hand over to cup the organ and trace the edge of the foreskin with his thumb. Then he turned his body toward Anakin and kissed him greedily on his half-parted lips.

Anakin's hand now sought out Obi-Wan's half open fly. He tugged to open it fully, and grasped his Master in his flesh hand. Overeager, he pulled quickly and roughly until Obi-Wan's hand covered his to still him. Without a word, his Master showed him how to please him. Anakin was always a fast learner. And with the added element of motivation, he could exceed his lessons even faster. He learned Obi-Wan's pace and his preferences. The auburn-haired man threw back his head and groaned his pleasure. Anakin smiled as he kissed around his Master's neck.

After adjusting to the feel of Anakin's hand, Obi-Wan resumed his hand's position on the younger man's full cock. He pulled on Anakin's leggings, urging him to raise up and shimmy them down to his knees and off of his legs. They joined their mouths again as they sent Obi-Wan's leggings following Anakin's to the floor.

"Wait," Obi-Wan gasped, pulling Anakin back from him with his hand on his shoulder. "Have there been any others, Anakin? Do you know what you want from me?"

Anakin looked into Obi-Wan's eyes, and confessed, "I have had sex with women in the past, Master. But, no, I have no experience here. As you might have already guessed." Anakin gave Obi-Wan's cock a small squeeze.

Obi-Wan smiled gently and slid his hand off of Anakin's cock, over his hip to cup his firm cheek. "We will only engage in what makes you comfortable, love. I have experience, but it has been a very long time. And it was never in a mixture of this kind of emotion and heightened sensations. I almost feel lost in you already."

Anakin leaned in and kissed Obi-Wan chastely. Then he said, "Teach me, Master. I want to know you in every way possible. I want to erase any memory of another person from your body. Love me, take me-I am yours."


	11. Revision, Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"You were right, Anakin. Love has made you selfless...However, I should warn you that I am not interested in being anyone's one-night stand-especially yours," Obi-Wan intoned the last part seriously. "Nor is this just about getting off for me," he warned.

"I know, Master. These acts are an expression of my love your too, not just an opportunity to be physical." Anakin snuggled deeper into his lover's embrace and sighed deeply.

"I have wanted to express myself to you for so long, my beautiful Anakin," Obi-Wan said into honeyed curls. "But I had a notion your affections ran in a different vein."

Anakin lifted his head to look directly into intense blue eyes. "Just because I enjoyed my body and others' doesn't mean my affections were ever turned from you. I just didn't know how . . ."

Obi-Wan cut him off. "I know. I haven't always been the most demonstrative myself." They smiled at each other at that 'revelation.' "But the past is passed. Now, you are mine."

Anakin's smile widened as he leaned up to kiss Obi-Wan with all of his intentions for their joint future as a couple, as partners, and as two halves of one whole.

Obi-Wan responded whole-heartedly as well. Flipping Anakin to his back, Obi-Wan gave his hands free reign of the body below him. Sliding himself lower and lower, kissing and nipping the whole way, Obi-Wan felt Anakin's erection bump into his chin.

Playfully, he slid his jaw side-to-side to rub at the soft tissues with the whiskers on sprouting over his throat. Anakin's loud groan and resulting thrashing gave Obi-Wan all the feedback he needed. Lifting his head and a warm hand, he cupped between Anakin's stomach and his penis. Anakin's sharp intake of breath caused said penis to jump. Obi-Wan's fingers curled around the organ again.

Dipping his head down, his tongue traced a line of saliva from Anakin's testicles back up to this tip again and circled there. Anakin moaned his lover's name over and over, mindless in his pleasure. Obi-Wan continued his assault on his lover's senses by lowering his mouth to encompass the whole quivering, straining shaft. He wanted Anakin to explode with their love-literally and figuratively. His wish was granted a scant few strokes later.

Anakin called out nonsense as he shot rope after rope of hot semen into Obi-Wan's hotter mouth. He had never felt completion like this before. Spots danced in front of his eyes as he squeezed them ever tighter. He could feel the embrace of the Force, pulling him longer and longer through his climax.

The older man began to back off to allow Anakin a moment to breathe. He kissed the quivering thighs to the sides of his face. His hands reached up to entwine their fingers once more. He squeezed in affection and reassurance.

Anakin head eventually lifted to search out Obi-Wan's eyes. "That was THE best-ever-I-" Anakin stammer out his praise.

Obi-Wan smiled shyly. "You're welcome," he said quietly.

Anakin sat up fully, pulling Obi-Wan up to meet his lips in a deep kiss. Against the beloved lips, Anakin whispered, "Thank you. I love you."

His lover sighed in contentment and replied. "I know. I can see it all around you. So attractive. How have I resisted you until now?"

Resting their foreheads together, Anakin gave a short laugh. "You are the greatest Jedi I know, Obi-Wan. You think maybe that has something to do with it?" He peppered kisses down Obi-Wan's cheeks as he spoke.

Feeling devilish, the Master replied, "So what's your excuse?" This earned him a swat across his arms.

But then a haunted look crossed Anakin's eyes and he whispered his fears. "I didn't think I was good enough."

Obi-Wan brushed errant bangs off of Anakin and cupped his face. "Nonsense," he muttered and began leaning Anakin back onto the cot. He decided he would show Anakin how desirable he was.

Sitting back on his heels between Anakin's sinewy thighs, Obi-Wan took himself in hand. "Do you see this?" he asked. When his lover nodded, impressed by the sight of the great man, Obi-Wan continued. "This is what you do to me. This is the result of kissing and touching and rubbing and sucking you. I want to fuck you until you don't remember your own name. But first, I need to relieve the pressure-or I won't last long enough."

When his words stopped, he hand began a slow rhythm along his rock-hard length. Using his other hand to tease his erect nipples, Obi-Wan masturbated over his captivated lover. Anakin's hand couldn't help but drift to his own cock, already awakening again.

Obi-Wan noticed the quick recovery and remarked, "Ah, the young."

But his discipline and restraint would serve them well soon. He continued pulling faster and faster, his eyes roving over Anakin's prone form. Anakin nervously licked his lips again and couldn't decide if Obi-Wan's face, locked in a mask of desire, or Obi-Wan's penis repeatedly disappearing and reappearing through his tight fist was the more addictive sight.

With a tremendous shudder and groan, Obi-Wan came all over Anakin. The younger man ran his fingers through it and licked them clean. His Master watched as he continued to milk himself. Then, leaning forward, he grasped both of their cocks in his hands, mixing their fluids and increasing their already sky-high arousal.

Anakin was unfamiliar with this sensation. With the lubrication of semen, there was very little friction; however, the brush of skin on skin-especially this skin-was still intoxicating. And the contrast with the texture of Obi-Wan's hands led Anakin to think about the delicacy of skin kept covered and protected. He added his own hand to the grip to further compare and contrast.

After a few minutes, Obi-Wan felt himself begin to stir again. "Amazing," he breathed. "Your power over me, Anakin." He had truly not expected to recover yet.

Moving his free hand to nestle behind Anakin's knee, he bent the leg first and then lifted it to his shoulder. Leaving it there with a light kiss, he retrieved semen from Anakin's stomach and found his tight entrance again. Reluctantly, he released his cock to make room for their eventual joining.

Lubing himself as well, Obi-Wan began teasing Anakin's anus to bring himself to full hardness. He ached to penetrate Anakin's inner sanctum, but he couldn't rush. Reaching his arm around the leg on his shoulder and resting his hand on the younger man's shin, he pulled Anakin's body off of the bed to the side until he was at a forty-five degree angle. Straddling the lower leg on the cot, Obi-Wan began adding more pressure to his advances.

Slowly, he sunk himself further and further. The sounds both men made issued from primal places within them. The mix of hormones, emotions, and bodily scents and fluids enveloped them both. Obi-Wan began a relaxing rhythm as soon as he felt himself bottom out inside of his lover.

They pushed and pulled each other, enjoying the effort as much as the results-they had always liked sweating together. Obi-Wan watched the sweat bead on Anakin's golden skin, then bent to taste the salty goodness. Anakin arched his back and keened but quickly found the rhythm again.

At the apex of their desire and anticipation, Obi-Wan sank into the Force slightly. He was pleasantly delighted to see Anakin's signature glowing brighter and brighter by the moment. He would drive the darkness from his young man. He would rescue him from the dark places. He would replace fear with trust, doubt with love.

Their love would make Anakin stronger, as he had predicted earlier.

Feeling the tightening in his scrotum, Obi-Wan clutched at the pliant and yet tense body below him. Grasping onto Anakin's seething erection, he sought to even out their pacing. When they reached the precipice together, then fell over in each other's embrace, it was magical. It was perfect. It was all them.

Years later, Obi-Wan would tease Anakin about how he was a better man for loving and sleeping with his former Master. And Anakin would endure good-naturedly, knowing deep down that it was the truth. The Force had ensured that his love had given him the strength to be a good person.

The End.


End file.
